Value Based Lettings

Anna Fryer: Director of Interventions

Richard Barker: ICT Manager

Who we are …

Formed in 2003 (as Bradford Community Housing Trust) following

a stock transfer from Bradford Council.

Based in Bradford, West Yorkshire.

21,500 rented homes

1,000 leasehold properties

Workforce of over 1250 staff and a turnover of £88 million.

Our Vision and strategic direction is focused on

‘Improving lives Incommunities’

Allocations, Lettings & Homelessness Conference: Nov 2014

Why Change?

We believe that communities should be great places to live, where people enjoy their lives

Where they live, learn, work, and socialise with their neighbours in harmony

Where they’re proud of, not just their own homes, but their whole community

We believe that they are places where everyone has the opportunity to fulfil their potential

Allocations, Lettings & Homelessness Conference: Nov 2014

Choice Based Lettings

CBL was introduced in Bradford in 2002 in partnership

with Bradford District Council

Part of the national Pilot project

District Allocations Policy

Worked for us at a time of high demand

Need to change?

Why change now?

Increase in Turnover

Why systems thinking?

Taking a customer perspective

Clarity of purpose in customer terms

Measuring what matters to your customer

Consider the whole system

Understand Demand and flow

Process of ‘Check’

Establish our Purpose

“Help me find a suitable home when I need it”

Understand demand, level and proportion of value and

failure

Measure outcomes and follow customer journey

Measuring What Matters What is a demand; who places it & how do they do

this?

Failure Demand: Failure to do something, or do something right for the customer

Value Demand: A demand we want – what we are here for:

I need help / advice

I’d like to give additional information

I need to register for a home

I can’t use your system

What’s happening with my application

I’ve come back because you’ve told me to

I’ve come back for Temporary Accommodation

Understanding Demand Allocations

As many resources needed to

meet failure demand as value!

No of

Demands%

1598 53.4%

1395 46.6%

Value 1377 55.2%

Failure 1119 44.8%

Value 275 30.5%

Failure 626 69.5%

Value 275 30.5%

Failure 626 69.5%

Value 43 100.0%

Failure 0 0.0%

Telephone

In Person

CBL

Website

Email

DemandType

Value

Failure

Referrals

Value 3315 50.9%

Failure 3203 49.1%

Data collected from week commencing 16th May 2011 – 26th June 2011

Understanding Demand: Housing Options Service

Data collected from week commencing 16th May 2011 – 26th June 2011

1645 25%

639 10%

485 8%

My Home Application 395 6%

My options advice 121 2%I'd like to give you additional information for

I need help/advice

I need more/some information

I need to register on Homes

My homes application 461 7%

Options advice 189 3%

409 6%

1912 30%

171 3%

48 1%

I've come back for temporary accommodation

I've been referred from another agency

What's happening with:

I've come back because you told me to

I can't use your system

Value 3285 50.70%

Failure 3190 49.30%

Understanding Demand: Choice Based Lettings Demand

Data collected from week commencing 16th May 2011 – 26th June 2011

I can't use your system 1912 52%

What's happening with my homes application 461 13%

I've come back because you told me to 409 11%

I need to register on homes 485 13%

I'd like to give you additional information for my homes application 395 11%

Total Value 880 24%

Total Failure 2782 76%

Consider the Whole System Average Time from Application to Rehouse

Consider the whole system

Customer

Check

Diary

Turn up for

appointment

Options

Interview

If Successful

invited for viewing CBL

Registration

Fill footfall form in

–Return to

reception

Appointment

Made

Once Active

– Place Bid

Assisted Bidding

Close Case

Input into IBS

Complete relevant

screens

If Offer Accepted

Copy &

Paste all

case notes

& Print

Place on file

T.A.

16%

Look for suitable

Accommodation

TL Checks

& OK’s

Recommendation Action to TL

Bond

Scheme /

Savehaven

Homeless

Assessment

Input comprehensive

case notes

Input comprehensive

homeless case notes

Copy & Paste all

case notes & Print

Copy & Paste advice

notes to Homeless Ass

70% 30%

Ring Hostel to check

availability

Ring B&B to

reserve place

Complete

HB Form &

attachment

Verify Income

eligibility

Email TL daily with IBS

No & reason for

(re)booking

Raise BMDC PO

& fax to B&B

Photocopy all

forms for file

Daily

representation

Not Offered / suitable

If none TL Authorisation

Move from bid system to

matching system

What we had learned:

Customers couldn’t use the system

There was little demand for some properties, but advice given was as if

all in high demand

Low percentage of lettings to customers in priority need

The list did not equal housing demand, no data to inform strategy

Bid system, but still going to 5th customer to get letting

Questionable outcomes for sustainability of tenancies and turnover high

Developing a New Approach

for the district

Partnership

Updated:

Policy

Nominations

Agreement

Application

Property

Type

Location

Time

Frame

Re-design: Value Based Lettings

Waiting List Statutory Need

Urgent Need

Reasonable Preference

General Need

Property Shop

Mutual Exchange

Property Void: Incommunities

Accent

Your Housing Group

Yorkshire

Places for People

Manningham

Home Group

Jephson

Anchor

Re-design: Value Based Lettings

Value Based Lettings

(VBL)

What are my chances and will the tenancy work?

Effective use of resources Mutual Exchange

Nomination agreements

Outcomes?

Sustainable Tenancies

Demand

Reduction in turnover

Demonstration

Value Based Lettings VBL

Demand In Bradford

From 22,000 on list to 6,500 migration onto VBL

12,420 Applications Registered on VBL

Demand In Bradford

Average time to rehouse: 1 month for priority cases

and 3 months for general needs

Customers state will wait for 9 months, reality is 3

1759 people have left the list and we have rehoused

1388, ratio of 5:4

Evidence of good demand in some areas and some

property types and visa versa- vital strategic

information

A New Approach

Choice Based Lettings

1 week cycle

Difficult application form

Unsure of waiting time

Unsure if stock exists

Length of time bid

process

Multiple applications

Waiting time for validation

No flexibility

Value Based Lettings

Instant Matches

Supported process

Likelihoods of availability

Stock availability

Informed choice for

customers

No multi viewings

Customers values

matched

Core Benefits

What’s my chances and housing options

Considered match and tenancy sustainment

Understanding of demand

No annual review required

No allocations system can deal with under/over

supply

Any Questions